Name of business: Refill Roastery
Name of competing roaster: Samundra Kc
When did your roastery start? And, as the owner, why a coffee roastery?
2018 A.D. Curiosity & Passion behind why we chose roasting, plus there was a gap in the UAE market because of the shortage of good coffee roasteries.
Question for the roaster: How did you learn to roast coffee?
To be honest, I started to learn how to roast coffee beans in an oven! Then I started to explore and joining Refill Roastery was my turning point in my career.
And what drew you to roasting as a profession? Curiosity.
What do you love most about the coffee roasting industry?
The supply chain (fair trade that we connect directly to the Farmers).
In your opinion, is roasting more science or more art?
For me, It's a balance between these elements that can result in an exceptional cup of coffee. In the Roasting process we need to understand deep knowledge behind the chemical reactions that occur as well as the technical aspects controlling variables.
Was there a particular cup of coffee that changed the way you think about coffee?
It depends on the perspective of people. For me, Latte Art changed my way of thinking about coffee. Because I'm from Nepal and we loved to drink Tea instead of Coffee, when I saw the art inside the cup I was amazed and here I am.
What is your focus as a roastery? Wholesale to cafes? Do you roast just for your own cafe? Sell online?
Actually we are targeting all that you mentioned above. We are Focusing on B2b and B2c as well.
May you please tell us a bit about your team? Who makes the wheels turn in your operation?
Working with different nationalities in different departments to focus on what we can offer to our customers is always a fun part. The sourcing team, HeadRoaster, ProductionRoaster, QC team, Marketing & Sales team all of them will be in this process.
With all the different processing methods now available to roasters, is there a processing method that you enjoy working with? And why?
As a coffee Processing methods significantly influence the flavor and characteristics, but I'm always seeking to deal with new processing which is a little bit challenging but I love to enjoy where there are challenges.
How have you seen coffee culture in your region grow over the last few years?
In my city (Al Ain), there has been a noticeable increase in coffee culture over the last few years. Here are some of the trends and developments that have been observed in coffee cultures.:
Specialty Coffee Shops, Diverse Coffee offering, Cafe Ambiance, Coffee Competitions, Coffee education, Local Roasteries.
Where are you located and can people come visit you?
Refill Door is open for everyone, we are located in Hili Sanaiya, Alain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
What makes your roastery stand out in a booming industry?
In a booming coffee industry, there is an increasing demand for coffee roasters and a demand for specialty Coffee. It will be challenging but more fun, however there are several factors that can help a coffee roaster identify the competitive market.
1. Quality Coffee
2. Unique and ethical sourcing 3. Consistency
4. Education
5. Innovation
6. Transparency
7. Feedback and Improvement.
